On the train
by ThatGreekLady
Summary: Takes place in the Deathly Hallows. Slytherin 7th years and their interactions on the Hogwarts Express.
A blond young man carrying a trunk stood next to Hogwarts Express tinking about how a few months ago he had thought he would never see the train again. 'How ridiculous' he thought, 'to go back to school after everything that happened these past months'.

He really didn't want to return to school. Not after he spent his summer holidays watching people getting tortured and killed. He felt his life as a student should have ended when he pointed his wand at his old headmaster. He never liked that old fool. He had spent his childhood listening to his father ranting about the "muggle-loving, incompetent old man who hires useless professors and dangerous half-breeds like that Hagrid". During the summer, Draco Malfoy was wondering if things would be different if he actually managed to kill the old man, if the Dark Lord would stop treating his family with such contempt. Yet, he had failed. Snape had to do his job because Draco himself was weak. And now his family was suffering the results of his stupidity.

"Please write to me everyday Draco", his mother gently put a hand on his shoulder. She was a beautiful blond woman with aristocratic features. Yet the last few months she always seemed tired and almost ill. Draco couldn't bare to look at her so he spent his days avoiding his mother's eyes.

"I will try my best Mother". He grabbed his trunk to get on the train.

"Never walk alone, stay with Crabbe and Goyle."

"Fine Mother."

"If anything happens go to Severus, he will protect you."

"Fine."

"If the other students bother you.."

"MOTHER! It's fine really, I will take care of myself."

"Draco..." the woman looked like she was about to cry. Without warning she pulled her son into a hug. Draco stiffened. He never felt comfortable with his mother treating him like a child but now it was worse than ever. Because now he couldn't bare people touching him.

"Draco, things will become better, I promise. Your father will regain the favor of the Dark Lord..."

"Mother, I'm going the train is leaving" he grabbed his trunk again and turned his back towards his mother. "Goodbye Mother" 'and I'm sorry for everything' he thought to himself.

"Goodbye Draco" his mother was watching his back while wiping away her tears.

He entered the train looking for Crabbe and Goyle. He didn't feel like talking to the two idiots but he knew he had no other place to go. He pretended to ignore the younger students who were staring at him like he was some kind of monster.

"Draco, OY DRACO!"

It was Vincent Crabbe waving at him to come and sit to their compartment. Draco sighed with relief. He moved and sat next to Goyle. Once they closed the door he heard someone outside shouting "DEATH EATER SCUM". Draco rolled his eyes, of course they wouldn't dare to say anything to his face with Snape being the new headmaster and the Dark Lord basically controlling the Ministry.

"What's the matter with you" asked Crabbe "You're... unusually quiet".

' and you're as nosy as ever' said Draco to himself "I'm not in the mood Vince lets just enjoy the ride and not talk anymore.

"Oh come on" said Goyle. "You need to tell us everything"

"Tell you what?"

"How was it living with the Dark Lord?" Crabbe said while looking at him excitedly.

"Did he teach you any curses?"

"Did you kill anyone?"

"Did you torture any mudbloods?"

"Oh just SOD OFF! What part of ' I'm not in the mood' did you not understand?" Draco closed his eyes and sighed. "You know what I'm tired. I'm going to sleep and you two stay quiet or leave"

"Ok one last serious question" said Crabbe who looked like he was ready to laugh " Does the Dark Lord...go to the toilet like the rest of us?"

"OUT! NOW!"

Crabbe and Goyle left the compartment laughing. Draco closed his eyes trying to calm down. This is going to be a long year.

Crabbe and Goyle approached another compartment and opened the door. Daphne Greengrass and Blaise Zabini abruptly stopped talking and turned to look at them Theodore Nott was in the same compartment staring outside the window, not bothering to rutn his head.

"Vincent... Gregory" greeted Blaise.

"What's up Zabini, how's your mother doing?" said Crabbe in a mocking tone.

"If you came here to fool around then I must ask you to leave, I'm not in the mood to deal with your stupidity" said Blaise coldly.

"Oh, what happened today, has everyone got their knickers in a twist? We just met Draco and he acted like something had crawled up his ass and died".

"Your manners are as horrible as ever, Crabbe" said Daphne coldly. "if you please excuse us, me and Blaise were having a serious discussion"

"I heard your family tried to leave the country" said Goyle "is it...eh .. is it true?"

"It's non of your business" said Daphne while glaring at him. "Now get out both of you, we'll deal with you at school".

Crabbe and Goyle looked at each other and shrugged. _What's up with everyone today._

"What were you saying about Tracey, Blaise?" asked Daphne anxiously once Crabbe and Goyle finally left their compartment to go bother someone else.

"She's in Azkaban. I'm sorry Daphne, apparently she couldn't prove her father was a wizard."

"But that's impossible, you have to be wrong" shouted Daphne. "I have met her father, he's definitely a wizard".

"Daphne, her father…is a mudblood. He's in Azkaban too" said Blaise bitterly.

"Stop using that disgusting word!" Daphne looked like she was ready to cry. "How do you know all that anyway?"

"My mother has a friend who…"

"I need to go find Astoria, excuse me" Daphne interrupted him and run out of the compartment with tears on her eyes.

"I knew she would take it like this" said Blaise to Theodore Nott who didn't seem to be listening. "What do you say Nott? Muggle mother, muggleborn father. Do you think that makes Davis a mudblood herself?"

Nott just shrugged.

"The Ministry seems convinced that mudbloods somehow steal the magic of wizards". Blaise continued skeptically. "Obviously that sounds ridiculous but one still has to wonder how they get their magic".

"Maybe they have squib ancestors. I don't know" said Theo looking tired. "I'm going to get something to eat" he murmured while standing up to leave the compartment.

"Hey get me something too" shouted Blaise but Theo ignored him. He only wanted one thing now and that was to find Daphne.

Once he heard someone opening the door he jumped up, wand in hand, ready for battle.

"Draco!" said Pansy looking surprised. "It's just me, how are you doing baby? I missed you so much."

She tried to hug him but he stopped her. Their relationship had pretty much ended last year and the last thing he needed now was this girl following him around like a dog again.

Pansy looked hurt. "Draco, I know we had a fight last year but I thought…"

"Pansy, I just have too much to deal with. I don't need to drag you too into this."

" You don't drag me into this Draco. I want to be with you, I want to support you" Pansy was looking worried. "You know I will always be there for you".

"Pansy, I just can't do this". He didn't want to look at her. He didn't understand what this girl saw in him. "You should just leave".

"I know you. I know you're hurt" said Pansy with tears in her eyes. " But you don't have to do this alone. You know I will always love you, no matter what they say..I would do anything for you!"

"You don't know anything" said Draco coldly. "Now excuse me" he turned away from her and left her crying. He couldn't bare her company, he just needed to be alone.

"Do you know where Daphne Greengrass is?" Theodore Nott knew exactly who he needed right now and he was desperate enough to ask everyone he saw about her.

"No" said Seamus Finnegan coldly. "Why don't you go ask your Death Eater friends?"

"They're not my friends" said Nott turning to leave when suddenly he saw a wand pointed at him.

"Have you lost your mind Finnegan?"

"What are you going to do? Send your daddy after me? You know what I DON'T CARE ANYMORE" Finnegan looked almost crazy. "If I killed you right now, I would make the world a better place." He was shaking with anger. "What did you do to Dean, you fucking scum you have to know something about it. WHERE IS HE?"

"You're insane Finnegan."

"Seamus that's enough" said a voice from behind. Nott turned and recognized Neville Longbottom. Ginny Weasley was walking next to him while glaring at Nott. "Come on buddy, you don't want to do this. Put your wand down."

"I don't care anymore Neville" Seamus now looked like he was about to have a nervous breakdown" I just can't stand it anymore."

"Come on Seamus it's going to be alright" said Ginny putting her hands on his shoulders. "Come on lets go talk".

Nott turned to leave only to be stopped once again "Just a second Nott" said Neville Longbottom.

"What?"

"You're not going to tell anyone about that little incident. Seamus is just…he's not very well"

"Maybe we should obliviate him" said Ginny pointing her wand at Nott.

"Weasley , try anything funny and you will regret it"

"I'm not afraid of the likes of you"

"Now, now lets just all calm down ok" Neville stood between them determined to stop his friend from getting in trouble for hexing the son of a Death Eater. "Nott I heard you're looking for Greengrass. She's over there, two compartments away. Lets just forget this happened ok?"

Nott nodded and walked towards the direction Longbottom had showed him still glaring at Ginny in case she tried hexing him but she had already put her wand down. She and Longbottom were whispering something to Seamus trying to calm him down.

He knocked on the door of the compartment where Daphne was supposedly sitting. "Daphne? I'm me, Theodore" The door opened and he came face to face with Daphne Greengrass. To his relief, she was not crying, but she still looked unusually pale.

"Theo", Her voice was firm." Come, sit down"

"If you want to be alone, I understand.."

"No, no, come, I want to speak with you". She smiled sadly and took his hand in hers. Theo felt his heart beating loudly.

"I'm really sorry about Tracey" he said and suddenly felt the need to touch her and hold her in his arms. "You know.. I don't agree with this"

"Yea, I know Theo. You're a great guy. I hope…things weren't very bad for you this summer".

Theo sighed. "Me and my father spent the entire summer avoiding each other. I thought that he would try to make me take the mark, like they did with Draco, but he never said anything. Maybe they wait until after graduation. Not that I will let them do as they please." He looked at Daphne who was staring at her feet still holding his hand. "You know , I was thinking about it. I know some occlumency , maybe I can talk to my father about taking the mark. Maybe I can work from within and try to discover their secrets, to take them down."

"Theo!" Daphne turned to look at him. " I won't let you do something so dangerous"

"You won't let me?"

"I meant I won't let you do this alone" said Daphne now smiling. Theo thought she looked beautiful. "If you are going to risk your life, then I'm coming with you". Theo's eyes widened. _Does she really care about me_ , he thought.

"Of course I care about you" she said and giggled.

"What?" Theo blushed. "Don't tell me you know legilimency"

"I don't need it" said Daphne. "I know you. We've been best friends for years. I know you care about me like I care about you"

"Are we just friends Daphne" said Theo "if you know me so well, then you should know how I feel about you". He avoided her gaze. He couldn't believe what he was saying.

"Theo…" Daphne rested her head on his shoulder " at first I thought I only saw you as a friend, but..I feel that you're the only one who understands me. I know that I want to be there for you and that you will be there for me. I would like to be…more than friends, but we need to take it slow." She closed her eyes. Theo hesitantly wrapped an arm around her and smiled. _This is going to be a long year_ , he thought, _but no matter what I will always protect her._


End file.
